Building construction



Patented Jan. 1.4, 1941 vlllsll'llaio .STATES .PATENT orrlcs' i nUlLDlNG coNsTaUo'rIo-N 4Robert L rinnoy, Toledo, ohio, ossignor tov Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio.

Application January 5, 193s, serial No. 1835409 v2 claims. (cl. 18s-s4) v The present invention' relates broadly to building constructions, and more particularly to interior and exterior wall structures, partitions,

. and the like.

An important object of this'invention is thev provision of a wall or partition made up of preformed building units which can be easily and quickly assembled and likewise disassembled whenever desired. i

Another important object of vthe invention is the provision of preformed building unitsfof A still further important object of the inven-v tion is nie provision of building units of the above character adapted for association with one another to form a self-sustained wall or partition.

each unit comprising a metal frame and spaced inner and outer ornamental facing panels car- 0 ried thereby and providing an interveningair space which serves to prevent or reduce trans-- mission of heat, thereby resulting in a wall or partition having relatively great `insulating value. Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become more apparent during the course of the following descriptiomwhen taken in connection' with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout-the 0 same: j

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a. portion of a wall structure made up of building units embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through 45 a portion ofawall section; 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the improved building units;

F18. 4 is a perspective view of lone of the key members for interlocking the building unitsto- 50 gether; and

at substantially right angles to one another and each being made up of a. plurality of preformed building units I 0 constructed in accordance with the invention. The building units4 I0 are laid up incourses in much the same manner as brick, 5 cut stone, or the like, with the units of one course being supported directly upon the units of the f next lower course. The building units yare also constructed in ysuch a manner that they can be easily and quickly assembledon the jobv to form 10' a self-sustained wall, partition', or the likewithout the use of mortar, cement, or other cementios material, as will be more clearly.here in after apparent. i The building units forming the bottom course of the wall or partition are suplli.

ported upon and in terlocked with a base plate I I, while the units forming the top course may have associated therewith a top plate similar to bo'ttom plate Il. The unitsl at the opposite ends of the wall or partition are preferably interlocked 20 with corner posts I2.

Although the units I0 have been' illustrated in the drawing and will be hereinafter described as being rectangular, it will be 'readily appreciated .that the invention is not limited to any particular shape or size of unit. Briefly, each unit l0 comprises a metal frame I3 and inner and outer ornamental' facing o panels Il and I5 carried thereby, the intervening air space I6 serving to 30' prevent or reduce transmission of heat. The ornamental facing panelsv I4 and I5, while being of any desired' material, preferably consist of sheets or plates .of fiatglass either transparent, translucent, or opaque and decorated or not as desired.. The facing panels may also be of any suitable color or colors and may be either of ordi'- nary glass or tempered glassto increase the strength of the unit. l

When making rectangular units, the metal 40 frame I3 preferablycomprises four sections of rolled or extruded metal arranged at the four edges of the facing panels Il and I5 and cooperating to form a frame extending entirely around the perimeter of the unit, said sections being mitered and welded, soldered, or otherwise suitably securedj together at the four corners of the unit as indicated atifl. Each metal section consists of a. base member l8 disposed between the facing panels Il and I5 and' pro- 50 vided along;opposite side edges thereof with U-` shaped channel portions, I9 and 20 for receiving the adiacent edgesv of thefacing panels therein.v Extending inwardly from the peripheral edges oi the channel portions Isand 20 are flanges 2| and 551' 22 respectively arranged outwardly of and parallel with the base member I8 and connected thereto by the web portions 23 and 24. The flanges 2l and 22 project beyond the web portions 23 and 24 to provide lips 25 and 2B which cooperate with said web portions and also with said base member to provide a recessed portion 21 in the form of an undercut channel. The facing panels I4 and I5 can be either firmly secured at their edges in the channel portions It 4and 20 of the metal frame I3 orcan be loosely purpose consists of elongated key members 29 which, as shown in Fig. 4, are substantially H- shaped in cross section and composed of the tongue portions 3B and 3| joined by the web portion 32. As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the lips 25 and 26 of the metal frame sections terminate at their opposite ends inwardly of the flanges 2I and 22 to provide the cut-out or notched portions 33 at the corners of the unit which permit the key members 29 to be associated therewith in the manner to be hereinafter described.

In assembling the preformed units I0 to form a wall section, the units forming the bottom course of the wall are first laid end to end upon the base plate II which has been previously properly positioned after which key members 29 are inserted downwardly between the vertical side edges of adjacent units as shown in Fig. 2, with the tongue portions 30 and 3| of said key members being received in .the recessed portions or undercut channels 21 of said adjacent units to secure them together. The units are also interlocked with the base plate II by the usel of horizontal key members 34, similar to key members 29, and which are received within the undercutchannels 21 in the bottoms of the units and similar undercut vchannel in said base plate. Additional units arev then laid one upon the `other until a wall of the desired width and length has beeny formed. During the assembling of the units, vertical and horizontal key members are interposed between and interlocked with the metal frames I3 of vertical and horizontal adjacent units. The units are thus supported directly upon. one another and con-Y vertical edges of the units and Which receive key members 29. The units forming the top course of the wall may have associated therewith a top'plate similar to bottom plate II se that the wall will be anchored at the top, 'cottom and opposite ends thereof. As shown in Fig. l, the wall sections A" and B extend at substantially right angles to one another but they may be arranged at any desired angle by simply modifying the shape of the corner post I2. The units I0 may be utilized in the construe-' tion of both interior and exterior Walls as well as for partition walls. These units can be preformed at the factory and shipped to the job where they can be easily and quickly assembled. Furthermore, they can bereadily disassembled whenever desired. The provision of ornamental facing panels I4 and I5 will eliminate the use of plaster o1' interior decoration. Also, by providing ornamental facing panels of glass or other light-transmitting material, the walls may be illuminated by lighting means enclosed within the wall structure. The units being hollow will allow for greater structural utility, even containing heat stacks, chutes and electrical wiring, all hidden behind the facing panels. addition, the provision of hollow units, with an intervening air space between the inner and outer facing panels results in a wall of relatively great insulating value, in that the said air space prevents or reduces transmission of heat.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown `and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a wall structure, a wall section comprising hollow building units arranged in courses and freely supported one upon the other, each of said units being composed of a plurality of metal sections associated with one another to form an'integral substantially rectangular frame, and facing panels for the opposite sides of said frame, each metal section of said frame comprising a base member disposed between the facing panels for spacing the same from one lanother and provided along opposite side edges thereof with substantially U-shaped channel portions for receiving the adjacent edges of said facing panels therein, flanges extending inwardly from the peripheral edges of the channel portions outwardly of and substantially parallel with said base member and connected thereto by transverse web portions, said flanges projecting beyond said web portions to provide lips which cooperate with the said web portions and also with the said base member to provide a recessed portion in the form of an undercutchannel, and key members inserted between the vertical and horizontal vside edges of adjacent units and having tongue portions received within the undercut channels in the metal frames of said units to secure them together.

2. In a Wall structure, a wall section comprising hollow building units arranged in courses and freely supported Aone upon the other, each oi said units being composedV of a plurality of metal sections associated with one another to form an integral substantially rectangular frame, and facing panels for the opposite sides of said frame, each metal section of said frame comprising a base member Adisposed between the facing panels for spacing the same from one another and provided along opposite side edges thereof with substantially U-shaped channel portions for receiving the adjacent edges ofv said facing panels therein, flanges extending inwardly from the peripheral edges of the channel portions outwardly of and substantially parallel with said base member and connected thereto by transverse web portions, said flanges projecting beyond said web portions to provide lips which cooperate with the said web portions and also with the vsaid base member to vprovide a recessed portion in the form of an undercut channel,

$328,863 and key members inserted between the vertical and horizontal side edges oi adjacent unitsand having tongue portions received within the undercut channels in the metal frames of said units to secure them together, the said lips of the metal frame sections terminating at therewith. ROBERT L. PINNEY. l 

